There is something about the restrictiveness of residential addiction treatment that keeps some addiction sufferers from seeking help. For whatever reason or reasons, they simply can’t or won’t agree to any level of confinement in order to get the help they need. At the same time, they don’t realize there are other drug and alcohol treatment options available to them. In a country where people are dealing with very busy lives, it is not always easy to commit to 30 to 90 days of residential treatment. That is a treatment option that requires clients to maintain full residence during the entire treatment process.
While that can be quite restrictive, residential treatment is usually the right option if someone has a significant problem with drugs or alcohol. With that said, we do understand people have reasons why residential treatment won’t work for them. The most common reasons people can’t or won’t agree to residential treatment include:
- Inability to set aside important responsibilities at work or school
- Primary care responsibility for other family members such as elderly parents or children
- Missing time from work would create a significant financial burden
- Cannot afford to pay for residential treatment due to lack of healthcare insurance
So, what is the best alternative? The next best alternative to residential is outpatient treatment. As a treatment alternative, outpatient programs give clients who can behave responsibly more leeway in terms of them being able to maintain a home life while going through treatment. The only thing they have to commit to is spending a certain amount of time getting therapy at the rehab center.
In fact, most top rehab centers, including ours, will offer three outpatient treatment options. These options include (with time requirements:
- Partial Hospitalization or PHP with a time requirement of 40 to 50 hours a week spread over 5 to 7 days
- Intensive Outpatient or IOP with a time requirement of 20 to 30 hours a week spread over 3 to 5 days
- General Outpatient with a time requirement of about 2 to 4 hours a week spread over 1 to 2 days a week
What is intensive outpatient drug rehab
For purposes of this discussion, we are going to focus on IOP programs. We will do that because it’s a good middle-of-the-road addiction treatment option. To reiterate, a client who agrees to participate in an IOP treatment program will need to report to the rehab facility 3 to 5 times a week for up to 6 hours a day. As part of their participation agreement, they must abide by the following rules:
- Always show up on time for all scheduled appointments
- Do not use drugs or alcohol
- Be willing to submit to drug testing when coming in for scheduled appointments
- Continue to make positive progress throughout the treatment process
A client can stay in good standing with the rehab facility by following these rules. Violation of these rules could result in a referral for residential treatment or dismissal from the treatment facility. While in the rehab facility, each client is expected to devote their time to individual therapy. While working with a licensed therapist, they will start the search for the underlying reason or reasons they feel the need to take drugs or drink alcohol as punishment or a way to hide from problems. If a client is able to isolate these underlying issues, it becomes easier to for them to work on ways to better navigate day-to-day life without substance abuse.
For most people, all they need is to develop better coping and life skills. If a client can make improvements in these areas, they stand a very good chance of avoiding relapses and maintaining sobriety. If time allows, an IOP program could include some time working in groups. That is something a client’s therapist would have to decide. Since you are now aware of a really good treatment alternative to residential treatment, we hope you will use this knowledge to let us help you.
Regardless of your circumstances, we can develop a custom treatment program that meets your needs. Your job at this point is to admit you have a problem and reach out to us. You can do that by picking up your phone and calling one of our professional staff members at the following number, 833-610-1174.